The Ministry of Tourism (MOT) has advised State Government/Union Territory Administrations to set up Hospitality Development Boards if the same do not exist in their respective States/Union Territories. The Ministry of Tourism (MOT) has so far sanctioned 12 Institutes of Hospitality Management in the northeastern states. Out of these Central Institute of Hotel Management, Guwahati, Central Institute of Hotel Management, Shillong, State Institute of Hotel Management, Gangtok and Food Craft Institute, Nawgaon are operational. This information was given by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (I/C) for Culture and Tourism in a written reply in Lok Sabha. The State Government of Maharashtra has reportedly setup Hospitality Development and Promotion Board. List of Institutes in North Eastern States for which Central Financial Assistance has been granted by MOT. 1.    Central Institute of Hotel Management, Guwahati , Assam 2.    State Institute of Hotel Management, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh 3.    State Institute of Hotel Management, Imphal, Manipur 4.    Central Institute of Hotel Management, Shillong, Meghlaya 5.    State Institute of Hotel Management, Aizawl, Mizoram 6.    State Institute of Hotel Management, Dimapur, Nagaland 7.    State Institute of Hotel Management, Gangtok, Sikkim 8.    State Institute of Hotel Management, Agartala, Tripura 9.    State Institute of Hotel Management, Jorhat, Assam 10.  Food Craft Institute, Nawgaon, Assam 11.  Food Craft Institute, Tura, Meghlaya 12.  Food Craft Institute, Namchi, Sikkim

The air passenger rights service provider, refund.me has launched a dedicated India mobile App and online widget to help air travellers secure compensation for delayed, cancelled, and overbooked flights regulated by both India and European Union (EU) passenger rights legislation. From August, air travellers will get more refund on cancellation of their tickets and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also notified the related changes. In case travellers cancel their tickets, the airlines cannot deduct more than the base fare and fuel surcharge and the airlines will be bound to return the taxes collected from the passengers while booking the tickets and they cannot charge the processing fee for cancellation of tickets. The refund.me India App is the first to be specifically developed for air passengers travelling to, from, and within India-helping enforce the consumer rights of the more than 83 million passengers who take to the skies every year on domestic and international flights operated by India-based airlines. Featuring proprietary Advanced Business Logic (ABL) technology, the online widget and App for iOS and Android enables passengers to quickly determine eligibility and automatically file a compensation claim for disrupted flights, without having to fill in extensive forms or interact directly with an airline. If eligible, passengers can instantly submit their claim via the app, authorising refund.me to pursue compensation on their behalf through its worldwide network of consumer and aviation law experts. There is no risk to the passenger as refund.me charges a commission only when a claim is successfully concluded.

France Tourism Development Agency, Atout France has released an official statement on the security measures for tourism professionals post the July 14 attack. The release has a list of FAQs aimed at helping tourism professionals answer questions from their customers on the measures that have been taken to ensure the safety of the French population and foreign visitors. It says, “In spite of the events that occurred last year and at the Bastille Day celebrations in Nice, France remains the world’s most popular tourist destination (EVE survey1), with nearly 85 million visitors. The French authorities’ efforts to improve tourist reception and security will continue throughout the year under the state of emergency, which has been extended until January 31, 2017.” The statement also said that there are no specific measures concerning groups. Groups must nevertheless respect the general instructions given by the public authorities. It added, “There will be increased security checks and greater police powers. Police and gendarmerie reinforcements have been deployed throughout national territory. Inspections and staff levels have been increased in public transport and around sites receiving the public, including tourist attractions. All representatives of the tourism sector have announced the recruitment of additional security staff to ensure the safety of visitors.”  

The Outbound Tour Operators of India (OTOAI) conducted a presentation to educate its members on GST and its effects on their businesses. The event had in attendance Aseem Arora, Senior Manager, Tax & Regulatory Services, Ernst & Young, informing the members about GST. Speaking at the event, Guldeep Singh Sahni, President, OTOAI, said, “We wanted to introduce the GST system to members who are unaware. We knew it would be a very ugly situation for service providers, both inbound and outbound, as well as for tourism industry. It is going to impact us in a big way. Right now we are suffering from 4.5 per cent tax. And with 18 per cent of GST, which the government is thinking of implementing, the industry is going in ruins. We want to go to the government with our issues, so that they consider it before implementing it.”

The Ministry of Tourism is planning theme based events for attracting tourists in the country, revealed Vinod Zutshi, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, while addressing he members of Indian Association of Tour Operators in New Delhi. He said, “We are working on theme based events in India in the next six months. We have shortlisted three themes—medical tourism, adventure tourism and MICE tourism. We want to create a buzz about India and partner with FICCI or some other organisation and organise an international event, to attract the world’s attention to the country. However, we will focus on only one such event this year.”

Travelshop Turkey plans to launch charters in association with Turkish Airlines in a bid increase their portfolio of offerings, informed Murtaza Kalender, General Manager, TravelShop Turkey, at the first leg of their six-city roadshow in Delhi. “In cooperation with Turkish Airlines, we plan to start charter flights and aim for 200 charters by 2017,” he said. Commenting on the roadshow, he stated, “We are here with representatives from 12 different Turkish companies including airlines, hotels, and restaurants to inform the Indian travel trade about the different packages we have on offer. Between October to April, we are expecting at least 10,000 clients to visit Turkey, especially with the new arrangements we have provided. We are also focusing on weddings since Turkey is extremely popular among Indians.” The roadshow continues in Ahmedabad on Aug 2, Mumbai on Aug 3, Kolkata on Aug 4, Chennai on Aug 5 and Bangalore on Aug 6.

AccorHotels has signed an agreement with the Australia India Travel & Tourism Council (AITTC) to further strengthen the opportunities for promoting tourism between Australia and India. As part of the new partnership, AITTC will endorse AccorHotels market-leading Optimum Service Standards program for Indian visitation. AITTC will facilitate a service training program to help AccorHotels staff better understand cultural practices and learn basic greetings so they can respectfully serve these guests. Training is expected to commence in Sydney and Brisbane this August and AITTC will issue hotels with a certificate of accreditation once completed.  AccorHotels launched its Optimum Service Standards for Indian visitation program to better cater to the specific cultural needs and growing numbers of Indian travellers to Australia and New Zealand. Accredited hotels have adopted services to meet the needs of this emerging travel market including the translation of hotel welcome kits, menus and business cards, Indian meals in the restaurant, Indian adaptor plugs, TV channels and newspapers to make guests travelling from India feel at home. In addition, AITTC and AccorHotels will be working together on promoting both inbound tourism from India as well as outbound opportunities to India.

Ras Al Khaimah is promoting itself as an ideal MICE and luxury travel destination in the India market. Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (TDA) highlighted the offerings in this segment at MICE India and Luxury Travel Congress (MILT) 2016, held in Mumbai on July 28-29, and forged smart partnerships with potential buyers from India. Shaji Thomas, Director-Destination Tourism Development, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority and Mohamed Khater, Senior Tourism Development Manager, Ras Al Khaimah TDA, were present at the event. In the recent years, Ras Al Khaimah has successfully leveraged the appeal of its leisure offerings to international business travellers and has now emerged as one of the top destinations in the international travel market. Haitham Mattar, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah TDA, said, “Ras Al Khaimah is witnessing a positive trend from India, which has been identified as one of the fastest and strongest growing source markets in terms of visitor figures. We are focusing on promoting Ras Al Khaimah as a boutique destination for meetings, incentives and events. MILT provides a unique platform to meet high-end buyers and wedding planners looking for new destinations to promote. We are seeing a surge in interest in Ras Al Khaimah as an ideal location for events and weddings.”

Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India has launched its new 75-room resort in Hatgad, Maharashtra, six kilometers from the hill station of Saputara, Gujarat. Spread over an area consisting of approximately three acres, Club Mahindra Hatgad is located on the Nashik-Saputara road with views of the Saputara Hills as well as of the famed Hatgad Fort. Kavinder Singh, MD & CEO, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited, said, “At Club Mahindra we constantly try to add new and unexplored holiday destinations to create differentiated experiences for our members. Saputara, the only hill station of Gujarat, is a great holiday destination for the entire family as it offers diverse attractions including a rich indigenous cultural history, an abundant waterfall, a wildlife sanctuary and various adventure activities. Club Mahindra Hatgad is within driving distance from Nashik, Surat, Ahmedabad, Pune and Mumbai, making it an ideal family getaway destination for our members.

Singapore Airlines has announced special Economy Class and Premium Economy Class fares to eight key Australian gateways, namely, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns, Canberra1, Darwin and Perth. Economy Class customers travelling on Singapore Airlines or SilkAir can avail of all-inclusive, return fares starting from Rs. 63,000 per person for travel from Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Kochi, Trivandrum, Coimbatore and Visakhapatnam to Australia; while customers from Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad can purchase tickets starting from Rs. 66,000 onwards. In addition, travellers can experience extra comfort in the Premium Economy Class with all-inclusive, return fares starting from Rs. 100,000. These fares are available on sale till August 31, 2016, for the travel period starting August 01, 2016 till April 30, 2017. Furthermore, travellers can redeem a complimentary S$40 Changi Dollar Voucher for use at all participating shops, restaurants and lounges when they transit at Singapore Changi Airport till March 31, 2017.